Ted Allen Is Dining Out For Life To Fight HIV/AIDS

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Ted Allen, television personality and host of Food Network’s “Chopped” about Dining Out For Life the HIV/AIDS fundraiser. Dining Out For Life hosted by Subaru® takes place in 60 cities across North America on Thursday, April 24th. The event was conceived 23 years ago in Philadelphia and the concept is quite simple. More than 3,000 participating restaurants donate a generous percentage of that day’s proceeds to support service providers in their region to fund care, prevention, education, testing, counseling and other essential HIV/AIDS services. An estimated $4 million will be raised in just one day of dining. We talked to Ted about being a spokesperson for this fabulous event and his spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Allen stated, “Well you know I’m living this life. I’m a member of this team. I don’t profess to be any sort of hero. I think there are a lot of activists who devote their whole lives and work a lot harder than I do and I’m grateful for all of those folks. The one thing that all of us can do is just the fact of being out. That’s one thing that the “Queer Eye” boys and I were able to do. Just that even today has an impact on young people. It’s a nice first step.”

Ted Allen is host of the hit primetime Food Network series “Chopped” which received two James Beard Awards; one for the show itself, the other for Ted as host. Previously Ted was a judge on the first four seasons of Bravo’s “Top Chef” and Food Network’s “Iron Chef America”. He first appeared on the reality TV scene as the food and wine specialist on the groundbreaking Bravo series “Queer Eye,” which was nominated twice for an Emmy Award and took the prize in 2004. 2014 will mark his seventh year as spokesperson for Dining Out For Life. He’s joined by three other celebrity spokespeople for this fabulous fundraiser including actor Pam Grier (Foxy Brown, The L Word), designer Mondo Guerra, winner of Project Runway All-Stars and chef Daisy Martinez from Food Network’s “¡Viva Daisy!”
For More Info: diningoutforlife.com 

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“Desert Migration” Senior Gay Men Living With HIV

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with filmmakers Daniel Cardone and Marc Smolowitz about their new documentary "Desert Migration" for The HIV Story Project. Since HIV treatments have improved, many HIV positive men ages 50+ from all over the US decided that Palm Springs seemed like a viable place to retire where health services are great, housing is affordable and it’s always sunny. Filmmakers Cardone and Smolowitz who are both HIV positive are telling these men’s stories in their new documentary “Desert Migration.” We talked to Daniel and Marc about their relevant new film and their spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what their personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Cardone stated, “My personal commitment to LGBT civil rights is just to live an open and affirmative life where I’m not apologetic for who I am and be proud and active and engaged and interested and I think that is key. You don’t necessarily have to be in a march or a rally or something like that but you do have to be interested and I do think you have to be engaged in your community and know and be informed. That’s what I try and do; I just try to know what’s going on. I don’t want to be a clueless person and just say ‘my little corner is just fine, so I’m fine’. I think everything I do comes through I can’t hide under a bushel. I have to be out and I have to be gay and pride is something I had to earn. For a long time I was not proud to be gay. I didn’t understand the concept of gay pride and I think as I’ve gotten older now I know why we do this.” Smolowitz added, “When I think about my personal commitment I feel like that it is a lifelong commitment. I think with each new phase of my life and my work whether I’m talking about my work as a filmmaker or how I envision the world as an activist or as a person who is committed to social change, I’m consistently learning and relearning how to move through the world as an LGBT person. I feel very committed to making films about LGBT issues. The vast majority of my work touches the lives of LGBT communities and stories and today we’re talking about a film that has to do with HIV and AIDS. So when I talk about LGBT civil rights, when I talk about HIV and AIDS, I’m talking about the same thing and that’s how I bring those commitments together.”

Director/Producer Daniel F. Cardone was born in Australia and worked in production on critically-acclaimed films such as “The Home Song Stories”, “Animal Kingdom” and the HBO mini-series “The Pacific”. Daniel was also an Associate Producer on the groundbreaking Australian sitcom “Outland”. Marc Smolowitz is an Academy Award® nominated film, TV & new media producer of “The Weather Underground”, “Trembling Before G-d”, director of “The Power of Two” and executive producer of “Still Around” and The HIV Story Project with over twenty years of experience across all aspects of the entertainment and media business.
For More Info: DesertMigration 
 
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Brian Silva Marriage Equality USA Update

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with Brian Silva, Executive Director of Marriage Equality USA (MEUSA) which is the nation’s oldest and largest grassroots organization working towards full civil marriage equality at the state and federal levels. Since the US Supreme Court ruled DOMA and Proposition 8 unconstitutional in June, legally married gay and lesbian couples will qualify for federal rights and protections this year. Eighteen states have now passed marriage equality including Utah though that state has taken an illegal position on the wrong side of history refusing to legally recognize gay and lesbian marriages. We talked to Brian about this, what advancements he would like to see happen for our LGBT community in 2014 and more.

When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights Silva stated, “As a gay man I think it’s very personal. It’s fighting for my own equality and my own ability to live in a world where I’m treated no differently than anyone else. Just with the same equality, the same protections and the same opportunities afforded to my straight friends and colleagues. For me it’s extraordinarily personal and I think for many people that are involved in LGBT equality work it’s extraordinarily personal and that’s why we do it. That’s why we volunteer, that’s why we get involved, that’s why we do all these things to make a better world for ourselves and also make a better world for future generations of LGBT kids who are growing up.”

Brian Silva’s leadership has expanded MEUSA’s grassroots education and advocacy work into communities across the United States. MEUSA has helped lead 12 field campaigns that brought marriage equality to nine additional states via the nationally recognized National Equality Action Team (NEAT) coalition. In addition, MEUSA co-led the United for Marriage Coalition events in Washington D.C. and around the country for the Supreme Court hearings and Decision Day for the 2013 Windsor v. United States and Perry v. Hollingsworth cases. Silva has spoken and been published in numerous venues and received multiple awards for his work both in and outside of LGBT equality.
For More Info: marriageequality.org

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“Styled To Rock” Andre Soriano Speaks OUT

In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with fashion designer Andre Soriano who appeared on Bravo’s Reality TV Series “Styled To Rock” hosted by Rihanna. Soriano is one of the industry's hottest up-and-coming designers everyone’s buzzing about. Andre who has been featured in Italian Vogue left LA Fashion Week audiences speechless and amazed with his runway show. His vision and fashion interpretation is inspired by Old Hollywood glamour for today’s women and men maintaining a standard of unparalleled quality. Through his career in design he has embraced the idea that “fashion is freedom.” We talked to André about life after “Styled To Rock” and his spin on our LGBT issues.

When asked what his personal commitment is to LGBT civil rights, Soriano stated, “I love LGBT and I have always supported the lesbian, gay, transgender community and bisexual as well. We did a fashion show a long time ago where it supported kids to be positive that it’s okay to be gay and everything. So I’m an avid supporter and at the pride parade in San Diego, which is really great to support that cause. In 2014 now that marriage is out in the open I think people are more acceptable. Of course there are still like different areas, just like how everyone is staring at me because I’m wearing high heels right now. It’s quite interesting because I think it’s a little more accepting now but a lot of young people especially just like me growing up in the south need mentors and stuff. You know I never really had that so in this position I like to mentor the young kids in the LGBT community. Sometimes in San Diego I will volunteer and just go out and support the younger generation as well.”

Andre Soriano was born in the Philippines and gravitated toward fashion as a way of expressing himself after moving to America as a child. Recently he organized and participated in a fashion show benefit for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan that tore through the Philippines. Currently he’s designing couture for celebrities attending the 86th Academy Awards in March 2014. Andre’s fashion mantra is “Peace, love, glamour and fashion!"
For More Info: andresoriano.com 

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